Page 50 - Demo

INTERNATIONAL FOOD INVESTING IN INDIAN The mainstream Indian food category continues to attract growth, increasing by 12.8 per cent in the past year (IRI Scan National AU Grocery Scan MAT to 24/5/20, supplied by AB World Foods). Segments such as curry paste, simmer sauce, kits, bread, heat-and-serve and pappadums have contributed to this growth. When it comes to the category’s influencing trends, AB World Foods Regional General Manager Richard Atkinson pinpoints the trends of cooking more at home, embracing international flavours, convenience and format, and dietary lifestyles. But while Indian food is “much loved” as a restaurant or take-away meal, he believes there is still opportunity for it to be consumed at home – and more often. “The challenge, however, is overcoming consumer fear around not knowing how to cook Indian food or where to start,” he said. “As a category, we overcome this by providing innovative product solutions that are quick and easy to use but still full of the complex flavours that make this cuisine so delicious and tasty. Additionally, \[we offer\] food education and recipe inspiration that showcase how versatile Indian flavours are and how simple cooking Indian can be.” The other challenge, Mr Atkinson notes, is the consumer perception that Indian food is a ‘winter cuisine’. “While curries bring the warmth to your meal during the colder season, you can still enjoy the Indian flavours in other ways during the summer/spring season,” he said. “Curry pastes are a great way to do this, using pastes, like tandoori, as a marinade on the barbecue, oven or grill.” AB World Foods reminds shoppers what’s possible In terms of supporting retailers, AB World Foods and its Indian brand, Patak’s, identifies two key methods. The first of these is implementing “Indian inspiration” across path to purchase in-store and online. “It’s about continually reminding shoppers what’s possible in Indian food,” Mr Atkinson said. “Visual imagery that’s appealing and attainable makes a strong statement and is the hook for the shopper... We leverage shopper marketing at shelf, through in-store communications such as recipe cards and in-store mags, or out-of-store in media such as catalogues or online.” The other method of support for retailers is a push to trial by out-of-aisle disruption. “It’s also how we encourage shoppers to buy into Indian food, and this happens outside of aisle just as much as in aisle,” Mr Atkinson said. “Where we can, we’ll work with retailers to achieve off- locations to disrupt shoppers. Or use ecommerce techniques to drive awareness during the online shopping experiences. Participating in retailer events creates mutual purpose.” 48 RETAIL WORLD AUG, 2020